Young Czechs Research Articles

The Impact of Within-family Housing Assistance on the Certainty of Young People’s (Housing) Aspirations in the Czech Republic

The article presents the results of research on the factors that determine how certain Czech millennials are about their housing and some other life aspirations. We did not primarily look at the content of life aspirations and instead, we examined how certain, confident and concrete young people are about their plans. Using qualitative interviews and an attitude survey we found that intergenerational housing-related within-family resource transfers had a significant impact on how certain young Czechs are about their housing and (some) work and family aspirations. Therefore, whatever the aspirations of young people are, the ability to form them with certainty and confidence is significantly influenced by a factor that is largely out of their control.

Антонин Дворжак и идеи чешского панславизма в последней трети XIX века

The article examines the influence of the ideas of Pan-Slavism on the culture of Czechia at the end of the XIX century. For the first time, Czech pan-Slavism is consistently chronologically examined (from the 1860s to the 1890s) from three perspectives: its manifestations in a political way, in the cultural dialogue between the Czech Republic and Russia and in the life and work of Dvorak. The article focuses on the interaction between cultural and political life in Prague, revealing the debate between two political parties ("Young Czechs" and "Old Czechs") and controversies in the Czech press that divided the musical world between supporters of Smetana and Dvorak. The study places significant emphasis on Dvorak’s work in a broad context related to pan-Slavism in the context of Pan-Slavism in the spheres of political, social, and cultural life, including literature and music criticism.

The Polish Uprising of 1863 in the Social and Political Discourse of the Czech Kingdom

The article analyzes the views of leading Czech public and political fi gures and publicists on the prerequisites, course, features and potential consequences of the Polish uprising of 1863, which broke out on the territory of the Kingdom of Poland and the Belarusian-Lithuanian provinces of the Russian Empire. Most Czech newspapers, initially striving for objective coverage of the uprising, soon completely switched to pro-Polish positions. This was explained both by the infl uence of Polish propaganda and by the position of the Western European press, which supported the Polish insurgents. At the same time, a number of leading Czech politicians, including the famous historian F. Palacky and F. Rieger, criticized the Polish uprising, noting that the plans of Polish politicians to include vast Ukrainian and Belarusian lands in the future Poland are unfair. In addition, Palacky sharply criticized the Polish rebels for their radicalism and the use of terror methods. According to Palacky, the Polish uprising was initially doomed to failure and was a colossal misfortune for all Slavic peoples, since objectively only opponents of the Slavs and Russia benefi ted from it. Similar criticism of the Polish uprising was made by a number of Czech scholars and publicists, including F. Jezbera and J. Rank. The ideological struggle and controversy surrounding the Polish uprising politicized Czech public opinion and contributed to the split of the previously unifi ed Czech national party into Old Czechs and Young Czechs.

Why so moderate? Understanding millennials' views on the urban housing affordability crisis in the post-socialist context of the Czech Republic.

The housing affordability crisis is one of the most pressing issues in urban centres around the globe, affecting especially young adults. Some theorists have in response begun calling for the provision of more public housing or less housing financialisation (free market). The goal of our article is to demonstrate the housing attitudes of Czech millennials towards state interventions that are designed to address the decline in housing affordability, using a quantitative attitude survey and a series of qualitative interviews. The results of our study reveal that young Czechs are sceptical about increased public housing provision as a solution, and on the whole their views align more with the neoliberal ideas, the very ideas that are criticised by critical theorists. We show that there are contextual reasons that explain why young Czechs are not calling for radical policy change - reasons such as familialism, which facilitates the intergenerational transmission of norms, habitus, and resources within families; the legacy of socialism and society transformation; a belief that more redistribution of resources could be unfair; and stronger support for competition, individualism and right-wing politics. There is also, however, some inconsistency and uncertainty in their attitudes, especially between their general worldview and their suggestions for concrete action. This study contributes to the research in the field of youth studies that looks at young people's strategies for dealing with the problem of decreasing housing affordability, and to the discussions surrounding diverse housing policy responses to a common global challenge.

“What Blood Unites, the Sea Shall Not Divide”: Bohemian Day at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893

“What Blood Unites, the Sea Shall Not Divide”: Bohemian Day at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893

Behaviour of Children and Adolescents and the Use of Mobile Phones in Primary Schools in the Czech Republic.

Today’s young people spend most of their time in contact with mobile devices. Their excessive use carries many risks, such as addiction, cyberbullying and social disruption. Based on this, this study analysed the mobile phone use of young Czechs between 7 and 17 years old (n = 27.177) and assessed the differences in their behaviour according to the mobile device use policies of their schools. The results show that the use of mobile phones was linked to the one of the social networks, YouTube and videogames for the most part. Similarly, those young people who had them at school preferred to use them, instead of practicing sports or social activities. On the other hand, in the centres in which the use of mobile phones was prohibited, they felt bored and without activities to do. Therefore, it will be necessary for schools to implement educational policies that encourage activities and areas of social interaction in the school, especially during recess. However, at the same time, it is recommended not to prohibit the use of technological devices in the educational centre, since this fact encourages students to use them secretly and increases their desire to use them. To this end, its use in the classroom is advocated from an educational perspective, thus promoting collaborative learning and increasing student motivation.

Behaviour of young Czechs on the digital network with a special focus on YouTube. An analytical study

With the advent of the Internet, young people make up the largest percentage of the Czech population who spend the most time interacting with the digital network and the various tools it offers. In order to find out what activity they carry out within the digital network, this research was undertaken, which aims to find out how young Czechs spend their time when they are using the digital network. To this end, 27,177 young Czechs between the ages of 7 and 18 were sampled. (n = 27,177). Specifically, the aim was to find out which websites they spent the most time on, the types of social networks they used, the nature of the content they viewed, as well as whether they had suffered any kind of ill-treatment through the digital network. The results of the descriptive analyses allowed to elucidate that: (1): the young participants make use of visual social networks, such as Youtube; (2) most of the content they consume is linked to funny videos, challenges or gameplays; (3) It is of great concern that a large part of the sample has been the victim of verbal insults or cases of personal account theft or has been the victim of distribution of personal images without prior consent. Based on these results, it is intended to establish the focus on the possible consequences of these findings, especially in establishing prevention measures that confront the cyberbullyng in view of the possible consequences.

Attitudes of young Czechs towards immigration: comparison of 2011 and 2016

The paper aims to analyse the attitudes towards immigration among Czech youth and their changes on two distinct surveys of young Czechs (aged 14–19) held in 2011 and 2016, the years before and after a period of a greatly increased inflow of migrants to the European Union. In these surveys, special focus was given to changes in attitudes and factors influencing attitudes in each year. The results show that there was not a big difference in attitudes between both samples. Nevertheless, looking closely at the results, we found two main differences. The first was higher polarisation of answers in survey from 2016 than from the one held in 2011. The second one was in factors influencing answers, mainly in the statement on having an immigrant among close friends.

La enseñanza de la interculturalidad a través de la literatura: nuevos desafíos

La enseñanza de la literatura en las escuelas secundarias de la República Checa, contribuye de manera relevante a ofrecer nuevas perspectivas educativas a los jóvenes checos. En tal sentido, esta enseñanza funciona como atesoran en el mundo, desde la Odisea de Homero, por ejemplo, a través del drama Shakesperiano y Fausto de Goethe, a las novelas de Balzac o de Zola, a los autores del siglo XX que se dedicaron a la causa humanista desvelando las facetas ocultas de la existencia humana. El propósito de nuestra reflexión sobre temas interculturales es, en primer lugar, analizar la contribución de la lectura al nivel de conocimiento, proponer la posibilidad de utilizar textos literarios para demostrar hasta qué punto el diálogo entre culturas, está incluido en las propias obras, y, por último, considerar qué textos literarios contemporáneos a escala mundial podrían enriquecer de manera relevante la selección de libros recomendados a los jóvenes checos. La conclusión será una síntesis tratando de comparar la situación de los estudiantes checos con la de los jóvenes franceses. También se resalta el papel de la traducción no sólo en la enseñanza de la literatura, sino en el conocimiento del Otro. The teaching of literature in secondary schools in the Czech Republic (note that this is in the course of Czech literature courses and taught in Czech) contributes in a relevant way to open to young people new worlds. It works starting from the treasury of the world thought, Homer’s Odyssey for example through Shakespearean drama and Goethe’s Faust, to the novels by Balzac or by Zola, to the twentieth century authors who engaged in the humanist cause by unveiling the hidden facets of human existence. The purpose of our reflection on intercultural topics is first of all to analyze the contribution of reading to the level of knowledge, then to propose the possibilities of using literary texts to demonstrate how much the dialogue between cultures is included in the works themselves, and finally, to consider which contemporary literary texts on a world scale could enrich in a relevant way the choice of books recommended to young Czechs. The conclusion will be a synthesis trying to compare the situation of Czech students to that of young Frenchmen, for example. It will also highlight the role of translation not only in teaching literature, but in knowing the Other.

Trends in Lifetime Cannabis Use among Czech School-aged Children from 2002 to 2014.

The aim of the study was to examine trends in the prevalence of lifetime cannabis use among the Czech 15-year old students. Data from the nationally representative Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Survey, conducted in the Czech Republic in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014, were used. Trends in cannabis use among both boys and girls were modelled through binary logistic regression with period as a predictor of the lifetime cannabis use. The prevalence of lifetime cannabis use has significantly decreased among young Czechs, particularly among boys. Gender differences in cannabis use have been also gradually decreasing since 2002, with no significant differences between genders in recent period. Although there are positive changes in the prevalence of adolescent cannabis use, from the European perspective, Czech students still belong to those with significantly higher rates in this respect. Thus, alongside with the use of other substances, adolescent cannabis consumption remains an important challenge for the national public health policy.

Noví mladí Masaryci? Podpora demokracie a jejích principů u českých adolescentů

This article investigates levels and predictors of support for democracy and two democratic principles (free speech and minority rights) among Czech 14- to 17-year-olds. An analysis of survey data collected in primary and secondary schools in four regions in 2014 (N = 1,959) reveals that among young Czechs general support for a democratic regime is relatively independent from more specific pro-democratic attitudes (although there is an association between general support for democracy and the abstract principle of freedom of speech). On a general level, democracy was supported by about two-thirds of adolescents in the sample. Similar or even higher levels of support were found for the two principles of democracy when presented in abstract terms. However, when these principles were presented to them in specific, less clear-cut contexts, support for them was much lower. Specifically, despite their strong support for free speech, about half of respondents supported restricting unconventional political activism. Moreover, a similar proportion of participants seemed to downplay minority rights when the majority rule was emphasised. Results of the analysis also revealed that support for different aspects of democracy was predicted by various psychological and socioeconomic factors.

Care and Career in the Life Scripts of Young People—Gendered Cases from The Czech Republic and Norway

Based on a qualitative study of young people’s visions of their future, this article explores tensions emerging between care work and professional success in the life-scripts of young girls and boys in the Czech Republic and Norway. The two countries both have a high level of female labour market participation but have developed distinctively different welfare policies as concerns the emphasis placed on family vs. institutional care. In Norway, there has been a strong increase in subsidized public child care, and simultaneously fathers’ roles as caretakers have been stressed both in public policies and discourse. The Czech Republic has experienced an opposite trend; maternity leave has been extended, public crèches have almost vanished and public discourse has focused on the superiority of motherly care over public care. Framing our discussion within debates around naturalization, gendered subject positions and balance, we ask how – or to what extent -– such distinct discourses and policies influence the ways that young people come to envision their future life. Two different models of balance are applied: one which sees the individual as the balancing unit and the other taking relational dimensions into account. Some expected differences between the young Czechs and Norwegians are found, for example, with regards to articulations of male involvement in care work and female economic independence. Through the relational model of balance, we are also able to discover striking similarities between the two contexts, which demonstrate enduring gendered inequalities in perceived divisions of work-care responsibilities. Firstly, the girl career seeker – one who gives priority to career over family -– does not appear as an imaginable position neither among girls nor among boys. Moreover, there is a striking silence around the particularities of care-work as performed by women, something which suggests that aspects of care are still naturalized as female.

Communication about A Business Model within An Organisation in the Opinion of Czechs and Polish

Abstract Business models are nowadays a popular topic in management science. The concept of ontology of business models in particular is used in numerous scientific works within this scope. The issue of shared understanding of a business model within an organisation is becoming essential in this regard. Therefore, this work presents the opinions of young Czechs and Polish studying on faculties of management on the issue of the subject matter of a business model in the dimensions of the way it is communicated within an organisation. The study has been conducted with the aid of a survey. Hundred and twenty persons altogether have given their answers, of which 50% were Polish and the other 50% were Czechs. The existence of statistically important correlation between independent variables (‘nationality’, ‘seniority’) and opinions concerning particular dimensions of communicating about business models within an organisation (dependent variables) has been proven. The existence of these correlations (despite their very low level) in the light of a generally formulated research problem may constitute a premise for conducting further studies on the issue of cultural conditionings of communicating about this problem as well as the way it is practised in Polish and Czech enterprises.

Alcohol-related expectations and risky drinking in young adult Czechs

The aim of the study was to analyze the structure of expectations linked to alcohol consumption of low-risk drinkers compared with high-risk drinkers. Data from a questionnaire-based survey performed on a representative sample of 2221 persons (51.4% were men) aged 18 to 39 (average age, 29.9) were used for the analysis. The validated Czech version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was employed to define low- and high-risk drinkers. Respondents scoring >16 were deemed to be high-risk consumers. To measure alcohol expectancies, we used a 14-item scale: seven items represented pleasurable and socially positive expectancies, and the seven remaining items represented negative expectancies. The low-risk group scored significantly lower on positive as well as negative expectancies (19.1 compared with 23.2, t = -11.8; p < 0.001, and 11.4 compared with 17.5, t = -18.3; p < 0.001). The results were equally significant for males and females. The mean score for positive expectancies was much higher compared with the mean score on negative expectancies, indicating alcohol consumption is associated with positive expectancies much more than with negative. According to these results, high-risk drinkers exceed low-risk drinkers in both negative and positive expectancies, suggesting that cognitive representation of alcohol is different in high-risk consumers. When providing brief advice to high-risk drinkers, these differences in alcohol-related expectancies should be addressed.

Alcohol consumption and the use of marijuana in young adults

The main objective of this study was to explore associations between alcohol consumption and marijuana use in young adults and to discuss opportunities for brief intervention (BI). Face-to-face structured interviews were carried out with 2221 young adult Czechs (mean age, 29.9; SD, 5.8 years). Of the total sample, 51.4% were males. Alcohol consumption was calculated using a beverage-specific quantity/frequency method. Alcohol-related problems were assessed using the Czech version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Participants were also asked about the frequency of marijuana use in the last 12 months. Overall past-year alcohol consumption per individual was 9.2 L of ethanol. The past-year prevalence of marijuana use was 21.8%. The use of marijuana positively correlated with the frequency of beer drinking (r = 0.27), frequency of heavy episodic drinking [HED], (r = 0.32) and with the AUDI summary score (r = 0.39). People with harmful or problem drinking (AUDIT score > 16) reported marijuana use more frequently than people who drank moderately (60% compared with 18.8%; odds ratio [OR] = 6.54; 95% CI = 4.7; 9.1). The OR for marijuana use in people with HED was 4.3 (CI = 3.3; 5.6). These results suggest that frequent HED and harmful drinking are closely associated with marijuana use in younger adults. As marijuana use (including heavy use) is common in the Czech Republic, extending screening and BI to reduce the use of cannabis may be recommended. The existing guidelines for BI should be modified to cover marijuana consumption as well.

Contemporary Czech Emerging Adults

Similarly to other European countries, in the Czech Republic scholars can identify a developmental stage of emerging adulthood. There has been a lack of studies describing subjective feelings and personal everyday experiences of young Czechs at this age. Results of the quantitative Study 1 indicate that two thirds of respondents experience the present time as the age of feeling in-between. Demographic and social characteristics are related to the subjective developmental status. Psychological characteristics also differentiate: Compared with emerging adults, the adults consider themselves as more emotionally stable, have a clearer idea about their future, and view adult life as more attractive. Qualitative Study 2 aims to specify feelings and experiences of contemporary emerging adults. The respondents especially emphasize the feeling of freedom, which may be viewed in connection with social changes in Czech society. However, often freedom correlates with anxieties and doubts concerning not only individual competencies and possibilities but also others' behavior.

Odsun: Die Vertreibung der Sudetendeutschen. Dokumentation zu Ursachen, Planung und Realisierung einer 'ethnischen Säuberung' in der Mitte Europas 1848/49-1945/46. Band 1: Vom Völkerfrühling und Völkerzwist 1848/49 bis zum Münchener Abkommen 1938 und zur Errichtung des 'Protektorats Böhmen und Mähren' 1939 by Roland J. s&gt; Hoffmann Alois Harasko (review)

REVIEWS 559 offerings, such as the opening piece on 'Catherine through Contemporary British Eyes' (I997), which provides a context for the articleswhich follow. The new essay (pp. 29-44) is the first systematic attempt to trace British caricaturists'treatments of Russian themes during Catherine's reign. It is accompanied by several reproductions. As Anthony Cross notes, it was Catherine's 'misfortune'that her reign coincided with the careersof Gillray, Rowlandson, Newton, Cruikshankand other satirists,providing them with good Russian material either for inclusion in set pieces about dividing up the European 'cake' and making pacts with the Devil or for more personal allusionsto Catherine/Kate asa 'shrew'being tamed, to hersexualproclivities and her bloodthirsty share in dismembering Poland and Poles. Few Western writers on the period can resist illustratingtheir books with the anonymous 'AnImperialStride'(I79I), inwhich variousworldleaderslookup Catherine's skirts,but such images were not reproducedin Russia itselfeven in the Soviet period. Only recently have they become accessible to a wider public. Other articles, all written with Professor Cross's characteristic blend of wit and erudition, explore Catherine's knowledge of English (slight, apparently),her British-inspiredexperiments in gardening and penal and medical reform, a visit which she did not make to Ireland, her reputation as an author and various views of her, including Horace Walpole's implacably hostile one. These articles, written over two and a half decades, give an indication not only of the wide scope but also of the complexity of British-Russianrelations in the second halfof the eighteenth century.Their inclusionin a singlevolume with a usefulindex is most welcome. School ofSlavonic andEastEuropean Studies LINDSEY HUGHES University College London Hoffmann, Roland J., and Harasko, Alois (eds). Odsun:Die Vertreibung der Sudetendeutschen. Dokumentation zu Ursachen, PlanungundRealisierung einer 'ethnischen Sduberung' inderMitteEuropas I848/49-I945/46. Band i: Vom VolkerfruhlingundVolkerzwistI848/49 biszumMunchenerAbkommen I938 und zur Errichtungdes 'ProtektoratsBohmen und Mahren' I939. Veroffentlichung des Sudetendeutschen Archivs, Mtunchen, 2000. 944 pp.Index of names. DM 144.00. THEpublication by the Sudeten German Archive in Munich of a thousandpage collection of documents on the expulsion of the Germans from Czechoslovakiamightelicitacollectivegroanofdespairfromthoseacquainted with the highly politicized and tendentious nature of German and Czech historiographieson the Vertreibung/Odsun. Those inclined towards an unsympathetic view of the Sudeten interpretation of history are nevertheless recommended to suspend judgement on the present work. Published in German with parallel Czech translation,it is an ambitious endeavour and a distinctdeparturefrompreviousSudeten German effortsin itsfield. Based on an exhibition that has been touring Germany since I995 and for a briefperiod even reached the EuropeanParliamentin Strasbourg,thiswork is the firstpart of what promisesto be a two, and possiblyeven three, volume 560 SEER, 8o, 3, 2002 study that traces the tragic history of Czech-German relations in BohemiaMoravia from the awakeningof the Czech national movement in I848 to the wholesale removal of the German-speaking population of reconstituted Czechoslovakia at the end of the Second World War. The present volume, which takes events up to I939, is comprised of two parts: an historical introductoryessayand severalhundreddocuments, maps andphotographs. In his introductoryessay, RolandJ. Hoffmann, the directorof the Sudeten GermanArchive,outlinesthe 'multi-perspectivecomparative'approach(p. 9) thathe has used in compiling thiscollection. Hoffmann arguesthat the nature of the Konftiktgemeinschaft in Bohemia-Moravia has to be understood within a broadertheoreticalframeworkthatencompassesthetwinthemesofdemocratization and nation-state formation, culminating in its most extreme form in the 'ethniccleansings'of the lastcentury.The choice of documentsis intended to reflect this contextual-thematic approach and a wide range of sources, beyond those relating directly to Bohemia-Moravia, are drawn upon. Accordingly, Hoffmann takesthe long view in his historicalsurvey, choosing the American Declaration of Independence as his startingpoint and ending with a useful discussion on the various German, Czech and English terminologyrelatedto thistheme. It is in the richnessof the documentarymaterialitselfthat the real strength of this volume lies, and it is evident that extensive research has gone into locating and selecting the documents, as well as the maps and photographs which are beautifullyreproduced courtesy of Alois Harasko. While German reviewershave focusedon detailssuch as the so-called 'Gregrplan' of I888 -a proposal by Young Czechs to radically reduce the number of Germans in Bohemia throughthe cessionof Sudeten Germanareas therearenumerous other fascinatingdocuments, many from hitherto unknown sources, that cast light on...

Jak viděl český národ Alfred-Louis Méroux de Valois, první francouzský konzul v Praze v letech 1897–1903

On the basis of research in French archives, the author of the essay seeks to examine closely the personality and activities of the first French Consul in Prague, and also lo characterize the period and conditions under which this professional diplomat worked in Prague. The author also turns his attention to the Czech political scene and to the political situation in the Austrian monarchy, based on concrete examples (e.g. the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Victor Hugo, the reaction of the press to the Dreyfus affair, disputes between the so-called “Young Czechs” and “Old Czechs”, the Badeni reforms or conflicts between the Czech and the German population).The French consulate in Prague was opened at the very end of the 19th century. Its objective was to promote bilateral Czech-French economic relations. However, the Austrian authorities lived with the assumption right from the start that here an endeavour was becoming evident to attribute to Prague a significance going beyond that of the capital of a province. That is why they tried to deny permission for its opening so that legally the German consulate was set up earlier.The author uses in his essay quotations from documents of that time to illustrate the way Valois’ views concentrated on the Czech nation. But he is said to have discovered later that the Czechs under no circumstances deserved the sympathy they enjoyed in France. After initial favourable judgements of the Czechs, the first French Consul made a 180 degree about-turn in the course of only a few years, which in some cases meant a shift, if not to hatred, at least to condescending high-handedness. This occurred at a time when a new place was explored in the context of the era when two nationalisms – the French and the Czech – combined in their common opposition to the German threat and when the Dreyfus affair, with international repercussions that cannot be ignored, had whipped up emotions not only in France hut throughout Europe to the great detriment of the 3rd republic whose foundations were still unstable and whose prestige was seriously jeopardized in the eyes of the world.

The Meaning of "The Czech Question" Today

The following study concentrates on two issues: first, on Masaryk's own reflections on and interpretation of the political and cultural crisis of the Czechs at the end of the 19th century and, secondly, on the question as to what extent The Czech Question still says something to generations nearing the end of the 20th century. Masaryk's reflections on the Czech crisis are closely linked to his essays on Modern Man and Religion. In his interpretations of the modernity crisis and the Czech question, one discovers a social dualism which, at first sight, may seem contradictory. In Masaryk's view, however, this dualism of rationality and religiously anchored humanism forms the very core of the modern European spirit. The author of the article explores Masaryk's ideas as an effort to combine moral rationality in Durkheimian terms with Weberian rationality, i.e., with Zweckrationalitat. The most compelling moment in Masaryk's thought is his insistence upon the inseparability and complementarity of both types of rationality. Czech Sociological Review, 1995, Vol. 3 (No. 1: 33-44) Ceska otazka (The Czech Question) is the result of two processes: firstly, of the deepening political crisis in the Czech lands in the 1880s and 1890s and secondly, of Masaryk's growing awareness of the precarious Czech situation in this period. The crisis was of an intellectual and political nature. Old political programmes, as formulated mainly by Palacký, had lost their attractiveness. The new political force, i.e. the Young Czechs' Party, was, however, neither able nor willing to formulate a clear strategy for the land, while other newlyformed parties were concerned mainly with their particularistic goals. The situation can be described as an ideological vacuum which was accompanied by a lack of reputable leaders. The fact that Thomas Garrigue Masaryk saw the crisis from two angles is also relevant both in the light of his interpretation of the intellectual history of modern Europe, and in the spirit of his basic philosophical ideas. These ideas had already been formulated in his study on suicide, in his essays on Plato, Hume and Buckle, as well as in his lectures on Comte and John Stuart Mill at the Viennese university.1 Already, in that early period which includes twelve years of his life in Vienna and the first years in Prague his sociological approaches to the history of modern Europe were being shaped, as was his fundamental thesis concerning the necessity of religion in human life, and his conviction that the crisis of modern humanity is a religious one. Even by that time, he had constructed an unusual link between Comtean positivism and a deep, personally experienced and felt religion. Without understanding this polarity in Masaryk's thought, an authentic and correct interpretation of The Czech Question is not possible. The following study is not aimed at analysing the political crisis in the Czech lands during the first years of Masaryk's stay in Prague, this crisis having already been *) Direct all correspondence to Prof. Jiři Musil, CSc, Central European University College in Prague, Taboritska 23, 130 87 Praha 3. 1) On Masaryk's activities in Vienna see [Kral 1947].